MOSCOW, September 28. /TASS/. Mass inoculation against the novel coronavirus infection with the Sputnik V vaccine may begin in Russia in late October, Fyodor Lisitsyn of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Health Ministry, said on Monday.
"The third phase of the vaccine’s trials is scheduled to be over in late October. Mass vaccination will begin as soon as the third phase is over. I hope it will be successful," he said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel.
According to Lisitsyn, the vaccine production is expected to be organized at three or four production sites. It is also looked at organizing its production jointly with foreign partners. "Pharmaceutical companies in India alone are capable of manufacturing vaccine enough for literally half of the planet if they work to their full capacity," he said.
On August 11, Russia registered the world’s first vaccine against the novel coronavirus. The vaccine, dubbed Sputnik V, was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Health Ministry, and its clinical trials were successfully completed in June-July. The vaccine was developed on a platform that had been used for a number of other vaccines. According to the Russian Health Ministry, these vaccines have proved their ability to form lasting immunity for a period of up to two years. Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on September 9 phase three of Sputnik V clinical trials had kicked off.